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12 October 2020
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Story Arina Engelbrecht
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Photo Supplied
Arina Engelbrecht from Organisational Development and Employee Well-being believes physical activity has a number of benefits for one’s health, including stress relief.
Being physically active plays a big role in preventing the development of mental-health problems and in improving the quality of life of people experiencing mental-health problems.
Treatment for depression
Physical activity can be an alternative treatment for depression. It can be used as a stand-alone treatment or in combination with medication and/or psychological therapy. It promotes all kinds of changes in the brain, including neural growth, reduced inflammation, and new activity patterns are formed that promote feelings of calm and well-being. It releases endorphins – powerful chemicals in the brain that energise your spirit and make you feel good.
Physical activity can be very effective in relieving stress. Research in adults has found that physically active individuals tend to have lower stress levels compared to individuals who are less active. It also leads to improved sleep. When a person sleeps better and feels more rested, overall quality of life improves. They cope better with daily life stressors.
Reduce Alzheimer's risk
Regular physical activity can reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by up to 50%. It can also slow down further deterioration in those who have already started to develop cognitive problems. It stimulates the brain’s ability to maintain old connections as well as to make new ones.
A study asked people to rate their mood immediately after periods of physical activity (e.g. going for a walk/run, cycling, doing housework) and periods of inactivity (e.g. reading a book or watching television). Researchers found that participants felt more content, more awake, and calmer after being physically active compared to after periods of inactivity.
In conclusion, people who are physically active feel a sense of well-being, feel more energetic throughout the day, sleep better at night, have sharper memories, and feel more relaxed and positive about themselves and their lives.
“Being physically active not only changes your body, it changes your mind,
attitude, and your mood.” – Arina Engelbrecht
Prof. Maryke Labuschagne named as best agriculturist
2008-11-27
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Prof. Maryke Labuschagne, head of the Plant Breeding Division in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS), was recently named best agriculturist by the Agricultural Writers SA, Old Mutual, Mutual & Federal and Nedbank during a prize-giving ceremony held in Stellenbosch. This year she also received an award and R30 000 prize-money from the Association for Cereal Science and Technology SA (CST-SA) for research and development, as well as a trophy and R100 000 prize-money from the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) for research capacity building over the past ten years. Here she is with Mr Alfonso Visser (left), a crop farmer from Hartswater on the Vaalharts irrigation scheme in the Northern Cape, who was named South Africa's farmer of the year, and Mr Marlon de Jager (right) from Aberdeen in the Eastern Cape, who was named national emerging farmer of the year.
Photo: Landbouweekblad
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